“It disgusts me. I’ve been busting my (expletive) for 10 years flying all over the planet to show everybody what a great sport this is and what amazing people are involved in it. Then CBS throws this guy who fights at people’s barbecues on the main event because they’re trying to compete with us, and he gets knocked out in (14) seconds by a guy who didn’t win ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and couldn’t fight in the UFC. Then the guy turns around the next day and says, ‘The promoters actually paid me to not go to the ground with this guy. They paid me to stand up,’ which I’m pretty sure is illegal…. (Slice is) a joke. It was bound to happen. These guys have lost $60 million trying to get this thing off the ground. They’re building their promotion around a guy who can’t fight. It’s kind of (expletive) stupid, isn’t it? You’re in the fight business and you’re building your business around a guy who can’t fight…. When dirty people go out and do stuff like that, it hurts. Promoters have a bad rap as it is because of the last 100 years of boxing. We actually started to turn that around and were doing the right things and then you have these guys coming out and doing (expletive) like that. It hurts us.”

I completely agree with him !! Shame on Elite/XC and on Kimbo or should i say Clownbo !!

wiggum

10/9/08 11:55:10AM

hate to say it, but hes right....yeah, seths words were apparently misconstrued, or atleast he says so....but the bottom line is, they pretty much put all theyre eggs in the basket of a guy who in my opionon is a disgrace to the sport...he's doing his thing and taking advantage of the situation so im not hating on kimbo, id do the same...but, the executives that put him in that position basically sold theyre soul like most promoters do to earn a buck....im glad he lost, and i hope we dont see him on a big stage again, even tho we most likely will...i think elite xc has some talented fighters, and all weight issues aside the female fights they put on are great as well....but this sport already went thru the gimmick stage, now lets get serious.....this is a sport, not a las vegas sideshow routine that comes on every hour on the hour....its pretty sad when the general public think kimbo is the most dangerous man in the world

Darnok

10/9/08 11:58:48AM

Posted by tuvok500

WAR DANA !!!

I completely agree with him !! Shame on Elite/XC and on Kimbo or should i say Clownbo !!

I always call him Bimbo.

Hey WELCOME BACK!!!

Chieftan1997

10/9/08 12:13:11PM

The funniest thing was Shaw screaming at the ref because his golden boy got is butt kicked. He could see all his $$$$ going down the drain. Then Shaw the next day stated that Petruzelli is a modern day Rocky and was going to be a star. I haven't see that much backpedeling since Ronnie Lott played Safety for the 49ers.

I like to refer to Kimbo as Bimbo Spice Girl.

JoeySteel

10/9/08 12:17:09PM

awesome Dana. Well said.

How do you have Ken Shamrock, Arlovski, and Jake Sheilds all on the same show and it SUCKS. I mean they always SUCK. And tons of people are watching this and getting turned off.

roar.

mrsmiley

10/9/08 12:20:58PM

I gotta agree with Dana here.

I LOL when he said barbecue.

prozacnation1978

10/9/08 12:25:35PM

elite xc is bad for the sport i'll be glad when they go bankrupt

telnights

10/9/08 12:41:31PM

And that's why I like Dana. The guy may come off rough at times and down talks guys not in the UFC (which he should do) a little to much at times but He truly cares about MMA as a sport and has done a ton to make the sport what it is now. I have tons of respect for the guy because of what he has done and without him MMA may still be in the dark ages. I really don't understand the hate sometimes because without his help we most likely wouldn't even be here talking about MMA.

jiujitsufreak74

10/9/08 12:48:15PM

Elite XC is definitely a cancer to MMA. every time i watch one of their events it sickens me to know that this is the first event a lot of people are watching. it is like trying to promote your product with broken and non-presentable models. i cannot wait for Elite XC to go under so i can sleep better at night knowing the American public isn't being exposed to such garbage. they are hurting the cause and the Shaws' are just plain dirty and sleazy. Dana is 100% right here and i am glad he is the one running the UFC.

postman

10/9/08 12:58:56PM

Posted by tuvok500

WAR DANA !!!

I completely agree with him !! Shame on Elite/XC and on Kimbo or should i say Clownbo !!

I agree and welcome back!

bojangalz

10/9/08 1:40:34PM

Posted by jiujitsufreak74

Elite XC is definitely a cancer to MMA. every time i watch one of their events it sickens me to know that this is the first event a lot of people are watching. it is like trying to promote your product with broken and non-presentable models. i cannot wait for Elite XC to go under so i can sleep better at night knowing the American public isn't being exposed to such garbage. they are hurting the cause and the Shaws' are just plain dirty and sleazy. Dana is 100% right here and i am glad he is the one running the UFC.

TESTIFY!

I really feel sorry for Shields and Lawler in all of this. Those poor bastards are sure stuck in a large heap of shit. And I'll say this much right now- If Bas Rutten doesn't jump ship soon, I may have to change my avatar....It's getting a little embarrassing.

4u2nv

10/9/08 1:47:03PM

Wow Dana is right... i mean usually he is. The words he choose to use aren't the best but the man is honest and right 95% of the time. EliteXC did a poor job and CBS is paying for it with bad ratings.

The-Don

10/9/08 1:56:03PM

Posted by prozacnation1978

elite xc is bad for the sport i'll be glad when they go bankrupt

I have do disagree with the fundamentals of that statement... Elite XC in itself is good for the sport... The way the company is being run is what is bad for the sport. if they had people running it that honestly cared for the sport everything would be great.. the people running seems to care more about thier own pockets instead of putting on good shows and doing whats right by the fans and fighters. The show the other night was not a bad show.. Other then the kimbo fight every was pretty good... granted many of these guys with a few exceptions would be undercard at best on other shows but the fights themselves were pretty good. Elite XC needs to be taken over by people who understand MMA.. not boxing.

In all a better statment would be... "The Shaws are bad for the sport." I do not think anyone could disagree wit that statement except maybe the Shaws themselves.. but who cares what they think.

emfleek

10/9/08 1:59:29PM

Dana and the UFC need to land a network deal soon so they can show everyone how it's done.

It's like advertising for a new car and the damn thing breaks down on the commercial.

tuvok500

10/9/08 2:21:08PM

Posted by emfleek

Dana and the UFC need to land a network deal soon so they can show everyone how it's done.

It's like advertising for a new car and the damn thing breaks down on the commercial.

I do agree but to have a great show the UFC would need to be in command of everything like on Spike or in PPV.

So same commentators, no " i work for the station so i am an expert in mma now "

No little ridiculous interview in the lockeroom A LA KIMBO before the fight, just show a live image of the lockeroom with no sound like the UFC do works perfectly.

No, Dancing girls all over the place.

Bruce Buffer as the announcer for sure.

And , no " i take all the profits attitude like CBS did with Elite/XC, who was desperate for audience.

If a station was willing to agree with that i am sure the UFC would have signed the deal, maybe after the complete failing of CBS with Elite/XC some stations will have the attitude of " i just broadcast you like with the NFL " .

wapttn

10/9/08 2:38:31PM

props to dana... i've always been a fan despite some of the frustrating decisions he's made in the past.

As for kimbo, anybody think that the ufc would pick him up if he became a free agent when exc goes under? I wouldnt be at all suprised, the guy is a cashcow.. but if handled properly, could be remarketed in way that real mma fans can respect.... and in turn used to show the world a better view of what the sport is. Sign him... and give him a 6 month training camp against a well rounded up and comer. Put him on the main card of that might be great on talent but hurting for big names and you could really give the fans a good view of what mma reallyl is. You'll have the casual fans seeing that kimbo is a fighter just like everyone else. Kimbo is nowhere near top10 or top20 but the guy has some serious physical gifts, heart, and work ethic.... i think those are probably the most important qualities of a fighter... its why forrest is where he is right? The guy has great standup and given the rate of how he's matured from "mumble mumble mumble REAL TALK" to how he congratulated petruzelli after the fight i think is on par with how his overall mma game has matured. I actually have a fair amount of respect for kimbo as a fighter... i just have zero respect for how exc has promoted him. Kimbo isnt the world's no1 hw and should not be the face of mma, anybody who sees kimbos fights as an indicator of his greatness is an idiot, but how can you not respect his development as a fighter? Take elitexc out of the equation and you have a great story that shows the positive effect that mma can have on a person.

emfleek

10/9/08 2:38:50PM

I agree 100%, tuvok.

Dana's not stupid. There's a reason that a deal wasn't reached and it's 100% justified.

Chuteboxer

10/9/08 2:57:23PM

People wonder why I like Dana...well what he said in that link is why.

tuvok500

10/9/08 3:03:13PM

Posted by wapttn

props to dana... i've always been a fan despite some of the frustrating decisions he's made in the past.

As for kimbo, anybody think that the ufc would pick him up if he became a free agent when exc goes under? I wouldnt be at all suprised, the guy is a cashcow.. but if handled properly, could be remarketed in way that real mma fans can respect.... and in turn used to show the world a better view of what the sport is. Sign him... and give him a 6 month training camp against a well rounded up and comer. Put him on the main card of that might be great on talent but hurting for big names and you could really give the fans a good view of what mma reallyl is. You'll have the casual fans seeing that kimbo is a fighter just like everyone else. Kimbo is nowhere near top10 or top20 but the guy has some serious physical gifts, heart, and work ethic.... i think those are probably the most important qualities of a fighter... its why forrest is where he is right? The guy has great standup and given the rate of how he's matured from "mumble mumble mumble REAL TALK" to how he congratulated petruzelli after the fight i think is on par with how his overall mma game has matured. I actually have a fair amount of respect for kimbo as a fighter... i just have zero respect for how exc has promoted him. Kimbo isnt the world's no1 hw and should not be the face of mma, anybody who sees kimbos fights as an indicator of his greatness is an idiot, but how can you not respect his development as a fighter? Take elitexc out of the equation and you have a great story that shows the positive effect that mma can have on a person.

Where have you seen the development about Kimbo ??

He did beat only completely washed fighters, Zero reflex , Zero Cardio, Zero everything.I agree that it is not Kimbo's fault but all his wins can not be taken as " look at the great development " .

The only non washed fighter he faced puited him to sleep with 1 jab !!!

And i don't think the UFC would jump on him if he was free agent, i mean the UFC already have Houston Alexander so no need to have 2, well maybe feeding Houston with Kimbo would make my days but don't blink because it would be even faster than Seth !! lol

Kimbo is a DD fighter, he will never become a top level fighter or even a decent one.

Chieftan1997

10/9/08 3:57:04PM

wapttn

10/9/08 5:01:56PM

Posted by tuvok500

Where have you seen the development about Kimbo ??

He did beat only completely washed fighters, Zero reflex , Zero Cardio, Zero everything.I agree that it is not Kimbo's fault but all his wins can not be taken as " look at the great development " .

The only non washed fighter he faced puited him to sleep with 1 jab !!!

And i don't think the UFC would jump on him if he was free agent, i mean the UFC already have Houston Alexander so no need to have 2, well maybe feeding Houston with Kimbo would make my days but don't blink because it would be even faster than Seth !! lol

Kimbo is a DD fighter, he will never become a top level fighter or even a decent one.

Where have i seen the development of kimbo?

First of all in his approach to mma. The doode used to fight in backyards for cash.. the doode was still acting like a thug after his fight with bo cantrell. If you look at the training videos, interviews and everything else from his last fight, he seems far more composed, respectful and considerate of what the sport represents.

Secondly he's gone from having a zero ground game to showing signs that he's not totally lost when on his back. I'm rewatching the jt fight and within the first round manages to escape side control twice to get back to his feet, and escapes a crucifix with a scissor sweep, ending up on top. I'm not saying kimbo's ground game is anything to be respected... but this guy had been fighting pro for 6 months at this point.. not bad for 6 months considering he's a standup fighter.

Third.. he's shown development in the fact that he realizes he needs to improve. His cardio in his jt fight was garbage... collapsed after the win, barely had enough energy to throw a punch in the third. When he prepped for shamrock he was way leaner.. chances are he probably saw that he needed better cardio and did it. Took kimbo 1 fight to learn that.. travis lutter still hasnt figured it out

And ya, he has been fighting cans.. and you could make an argument that these are the fighter he should be fighting at this point in his career... he just shouldnt be marketed as a top hw because he's putting has beens to the mat. And nobody was happier than me when kimbo lost.. but if you watch the fight, the jab put him off balance and he fell forward. It was the 15-20 punches after that kept him from getting back to his feet and then messed him up.

I probably see the same similarities that you do with houston and kimbo, but houston has been fighting since 01, kimbo has been fighting for less than a year. Kimbo is about 5 years younger. Houston has lost 3 in a row because he refuses to develop his ground game and kimbo shows a noticable improvement in each fight.

I personally think its too little too late for kimbo to ever be a serious contender.. the guy is just too old, but if he keeps improving at the rate he is now, who knows?

Its a win win situation for the ufc... if he continues to improve then they have a serious ppv draw that might enter contendership down the road... if if cant hang, then the fans see how much goes into being a top tier fighter and that these other promotions are a joke

gravy13

10/9/08 5:36:32PM

I really don't believe Dana is all that disgusted with Elite EC. I think he is happy with the way things are going for them. He loves it when other fight orgs mess up and look bad. I'm sure he's thinking in his head, "this just makes the UFC look way better."

tuvok500

10/9/08 5:55:31PM

Posted by wapttn

Posted by tuvok500

Where have you seen the development about Kimbo ??

He did beat only completely washed fighters, Zero reflex , Zero Cardio, Zero everything.I agree that it is not Kimbo's fault but all his wins can not be taken as " look at the great development " .

The only non washed fighter he faced puited him to sleep with 1 jab !!!

And i don't think the UFC would jump on him if he was free agent, i mean the UFC already have Houston Alexander so no need to have 2, well maybe feeding Houston with Kimbo would make my days but don't blink because it would be even faster than Seth !! lol

Kimbo is a DD fighter, he will never become a top level fighter or even a decent one.

Where have i seen the development of kimbo?

First of all in his approach to mma. The doode used to fight in backyards for cash.. the doode was still acting like a thug after his fight with bo cantrell. If you look at the training videos, interviews and everything else from his last fight, he seems far more composed, respectful and considerate of what the sport represents.

Secondly he's gone from having a zero ground game to showing signs that he's not totally lost when on his back. I'm rewatching the jt fight and within the first round manages to escape side control twice to get back to his feet, and escapes a crucifix with a scissor sweep, ending up on top. I'm not saying kimbo's ground game is anything to be respected... but this guy had been fighting pro for 6 months at this point.. not bad for 6 months considering he's a standup fighter.

Third.. he's shown development in the fact that he realizes he needs to improve. His cardio in his jt fight was garbage... collapsed after the win, barely had enough energy to throw a punch in the third. When he prepped for shamrock he was way leaner.. chances are he probably saw that he needed better cardio and did it. Took kimbo 1 fight to learn that.. travis lutter still hasnt figured it out

And ya, he has been fighting cans.. and you could make an argument that these are the fighter he should be fighting at this point in his career... he just shouldnt be marketed as a top hw because he's putting has beens to the mat. And nobody was happier than me when kimbo lost.. but if you watch the fight, the jab put him off balance and he fell forward. It was the 15-20 punches after that kept him from getting back to his feet and then messed him up.

I probably see the same similarities that you do with houston and kimbo, but houston has been fighting since 01, kimbo has been fighting for less than a year. Kimbo is about 5 years younger. Houston has lost 3 in a row because he refuses to develop his ground game and kimbo shows a noticable improvement in each fight.

I personally think its too little too late for kimbo to ever be a serious contender.. the guy is just too old, but if he keeps improving at the rate he is now, who knows?

Its a win win situation for the ufc... if he continues to improve then they have a serious ppv draw that might enter contendership down the road... if if cant hang, then the fans see how much goes into being a top tier fighter and that these other promotions are a joke

First of, Houston faced real actual non washed fighters so his wins and loses are legit, Kimbo would have been destroyed by any of those fighters.

Second, if Dana give a shot to Kimbo , even a 1 fight prelim deal, i will write a letter of protestation to Dana himself !!

If i write on the letter, it is from tuvok500 from mmaplayground he will open it !! lol

jiujitsufreak74

10/9/08 5:57:06PM

Posted by gravy13

I really don't believe Dana is all that disgusted with Elite EC. I think he is happy with the way things are going for them. He loves it when other fight orgs mess up and look bad. I'm sure he's thinking in his head, "this just makes the UFC look way better."

yes but when the org is disgracing the sport and hurting it's integrity he is disgusted by it. imagine you are selling a product, say vacuums. you have a rival company that was able to get a deal that allows them to air commercial's during prime time. now their commercials suck and it makes their company look bad, but at the same time it makes all vacuums look bad because the general public really isn't familiar with the concept of vacuums. so while it is good that your rival company is hurting, it also hurts your product as well

wapttn

10/9/08 6:21:54PM

Posted by tuvok500

If i write on the letter, it is from tuvok500 from mmaplayground he will open it !! lol

lol i wouldnt be suprised =P

and i agree with houston's hype being legit because he finished two ufc calibre fighters in the first round by ko vs kimbo finishing 2 people who shouldnt be competing in mma anymore by ko. But houstons how about you compare houston's first 4 fights to kimbo's first 4 fights? Houston was 8 fights in before he beat a guy with a +.500 record. You're stuck on evaluating kimbo the way he's been promoted, you gotta consider who is he minus the hype.

And you hug the ufc's nuts just as much as i do... whats the negative by signing kimbo to a 1 fight deal? If marketed properly, the ufc looks good either way

bullettdodger

10/9/08 6:24:21PM

Posted by wapttn

Posted by tuvok500

Where have you seen the development about Kimbo ??

He did beat only completely washed fighters, Zero reflex , Zero Cardio, Zero everything.I agree that it is not Kimbo's fault but all his wins can not be taken as " look at the great development " .

The only non washed fighter he faced puited him to sleep with 1 jab !!!

And i don't think the UFC would jump on him if he was free agent, i mean the UFC already have Houston Alexander so no need to have 2, well maybe feeding Houston with Kimbo would make my days but don't blink because it would be even faster than Seth !! lol

Kimbo is a DD fighter, he will never become a top level fighter or even a decent one.

Where have i seen the development of kimbo?

First of all in his approach to mma. The doode used to fight in backyards for cash.. the doode was still acting like a thug after his fight with bo cantrell. If you look at the training videos, interviews and everything else from his last fight, he seems far more composed, respectful and considerate of what the sport represents.

Secondly he's gone from having a zero ground game to showing signs that he's not totally lost when on his back. I'm rewatching the jt fight and within the first round manages to escape side control twice to get back to his feet, and escapes a crucifix with a scissor sweep, ending up on top. I'm not saying kimbo's ground game is anything to be respected... but this guy had been fighting pro for 6 months at this point.. not bad for 6 months considering he's a standup fighter.

Third.. he's shown development in the fact that he realizes he needs to improve. His cardio in his jt fight was garbage... collapsed after the win, barely had enough energy to throw a punch in the third. When he prepped for shamrock he was way leaner.. chances are he probably saw that he needed better cardio and did it. Took kimbo 1 fight to learn that.. travis lutter still hasnt figured it out

And ya, he has been fighting cans.. and you could make an argument that these are the fighter he should be fighting at this point in his career... he just shouldnt be marketed as a top hw because he's putting has beens to the mat. And nobody was happier than me when kimbo lost.. but if you watch the fight, the jab put him off balance and he fell forward. It was the 15-20 punches after that kept him from getting back to his feet and then messed him up.

I probably see the same similarities that you do with houston and kimbo, but houston has been fighting since 01, kimbo has been fighting for less than a year. Kimbo is about 5 years younger. Houston has lost 3 in a row because he refuses to develop his ground game and kimbo shows a noticable improvement in each fight.

I personally think its too little too late for kimbo to ever be a serious contender.. the guy is just too old, but if he keeps improving at the rate he is now, who knows?

Its a win win situation for the ufc... if he continues to improve then they have a serious ppv draw that might enter contendership down the road... if if cant hang, then the fans see how much goes into being a top tier fighter and that these other promotions are a joke

I don't think you're being fair Tuvok. I think wapttn has made some Very valid points, namely that Dana White probably would pick Kimbo up if Elite went under, and he would be re marketed in a way that would allow the "hard-core" fans to accept him more.

tuvok500

10/9/08 7:07:46PM

Posted by wapttn

Posted by tuvok500

If i write on the letter, it is from tuvok500 from mmaplayground he will open it !! lol

lol i wouldnt be suprised =P

and i agree with houston's hype being legit because he finished two ufc calibre fighters in the first round by ko vs kimbo finishing 2 people who shouldnt be competing in mma anymore by ko. But houstons how about you compare houston's first 4 fights to kimbo's first 4 fights? Houston was 8 fights in before he beat a guy with a +.500 record. You're stuck on evaluating kimbo the way he's been promoted, you gotta consider who is he minus the hype.

And you hug the ufc's nuts just as much as i do... whats the negative by signing kimbo to a 1 fight deal? If marketed properly, the ufc looks good either way

Well, the UFC is suppose to be the place where top fighters or top prospects are, Kimbo is known to be a total fluke, the UFC top organization credibility would drop for sure if they were going to sign Kimbo , no matter if he got some internet fans or not , he is not a legit fighter or a good prospect that's all.

Money is not everything that matter in UFC, they want to improve their roster , not destroy it !! lol

Also, i don't think it would be safe for Kimbo to fight in the UFC, he would get killed, it is almost like dropping Ken Shamrock before the end of his contract for safety reason, the guy was not competitive enough to stay there.

They dropped Seth for lack of talent, Seth just humiliated Kimbo in 14 sec, so where Kimbo is in the matter of talent now ?? zero.

Also , as for the Kimbo vs Houston evaluation, Kimbo was having 0 fight before being promote as the new mma god by Elite/XC so he was not legit or anything close to legit, street fights are not MMA regulated fights .

Houston was at least fighting for real, no matter if he never faced a winning record guy, it was real mma fights.And Houston was giving a shot as a replacement if i remember correctly to fight Jardine, he never been promoted as a better fighter than he is, maybe here we saw some comment about Houston betting Liddell or Rampage but not by the UFC.

Rogan did mention his power but also mention his lack of everything else.

wapttn

10/9/08 8:31:13PM

if marketed for what he really is, I'm sure the ufc would lose little to no credibility in signing him. And money isnt the only thing that matters to the ufc, one of the things that this thread was originally about was educating fans. Kimbo fighting in the ufc would educate fans, it would show them what level the big bad kimbo is really fighting at. I think a lot of people would respect the calibre of ufc fighters a lot more after seeing that kimbo cant walk through anybody at this level.

Anyways, we're beating this thing to death... lets duke it out if and when this is a possibility

Sir_Karl

10/9/08 8:42:17PM

I agree with most of what Dana said. EliteXC keeps hanging themselves really. EliteXC could be a solid competitor of the UFC's if "they" would unify all of their organizations and belts into one thing: EliteXC.They have too many partnerships etc etc.In totality they do have a fairly decent roster of fighters.The Kimbo "drama" isn't Kimbo's fault...but with the loss to Seth (who I have always thought was a pretty tough character) I don't think we have to worry about that anymore...however...if Kimbo headlines the show in his next fight...EliteXC is hopeless. I will keep watching though....I watch all MMA.They do need to organize and simplify.As for "instructing" Seth to stand and bang....I have no clue....who knows what was said.I know one thing...I have been a fan of Martial Arts (including boxing) since the early 70's as a little kid, if the "corruption factor" ever migrates to MMA...it will be a sad, sad day.The corruption in Boxing is/was absolutely appalling and sickening. May it never creep into MMA.....I do have some issues with Shamrock's cut and his interview though. Lets not forget he was a 2 time Pro Wrestler. Cough..cut himself..cough, cough.If EliteXC indeed indulges in such antics...may they go down in flames like the Hindenburg.